AltShift - Collaborative Document Editor

A real-time collaborative document editor bridging the gap between traditional word processing and AI-assisted creation.

TL;DR

AltShift is a real-time collaborative document editor built with React 19 (Frontend) and Express 5 (Backend), running on the Bun runtime. It offers a seamless environment for writing and collaboration with AI-assisted features.

It supports authentication, real-time collaboration with Socket.IO, rich text editing with Slate.js, and AI-powered content generation.

Quick Start

# 1. Install dependencies
bun install

# 2. Setup Environment
# Create .env files in server/ and client/ (see Getting Started for details)

# 3. Run Development Server
bun run dev

Feature Overview

AltShift is a fully featured application with the following core capabilities:

Category	Status	Capabilities
Authentication	✅ Integrated	Secure login/signup, Password Reset
Collaboration	✅ Integrated	Real-time sync via Socket.IO
Rich Text Editor	✅ Integrated	Slate.js implementation with formatting
AI Integration	✅ Integrated	Content generation via Groq
Doc Management	✅ Integrated	Create, Edit, Delete, Profile mgmt
Infrastructure	✅ Integrated	Bun runtime, MongoDB, Express 5

Features & Roadmap

Core Features (Implemented)

• Auth System: Login, Signup, Password Reset via Email
• Real-time Collaboration: Multi-user editing with Socket.IO
• AI Content Generation: Powered by Groq/Llama 3
• Rich Text Editor: Full formatting support (Slate.js)
• User Management: Profiles, Avatars, Settings
• Document Dashboard: Organization, Search, Filtering
• Infrastructure: Monorepo setup with Bun and Docker support

Future Enhancements

• Offline Editing Support
• Export Options (PDF/DOCX)
• Advanced Commenting & Threads
• Document Templates
• Interactive Dashboard Widgets
• Organization/Team Management
• Native Mobile Applications
• Public API SDK

Known Issues

Current limitations of the application:

1. Pagination: Page breaks in the Slate editor are calculated dynamically and may need refinement for complex layouts.
2. Offline Mode: Not yet implemented; changes require an active connection.
3. File Uploads: Limited support for context attachments.
4. Mobile Support: Responsive design is in early stages; optimized for desktop.

Architecture

AltShift is a full-stack monorepo:

• Frontend: React 19, TypeScript, Vite, Slate.js, Apollo Client
• Backend: Express 5, Bun Runtime, Mongoose, MongoDB
• Integrations: SendGrid (Email), Groq (AI), Socket.IO (Real-time)
• Security: JWT Authentication, Bcrypt Hashing, Input Sanitization

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Bun v1.3.3+

  Note: Install via npm if needed: npm install -g bun. For issues, check the Bun Documentation.

• MongoDB instance (local or cloud)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd altshift

2. Install dependencies

   bun install

3. Set up Environment Variables Create a .env file in server/ with the following:

   APP_PORT=4000
   MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...
   JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key
   SENDGRID_API_KEY=SG....
   GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...
   CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:5173

   Optionally create client/.env:

   VITE_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4000

4. Start Development

   # From root
   bun run dev

   • Frontend: http://localhost:5173
   • GraphQL Playground: http://localhost:4000/graphql

Security Features

• JWT Authentication: Stateless, secure user sessions.
• Password Recovery: Secure reset flow via email.
• Input Validation: Sanitization for rich text and inputs.

Contributing

This is a private project. For questions or issues, please contact the maintainers.

Acknowledgments

• Built with Slate.js
• AI powered by Groq